Extortion: The United States Senate’s Newest Racket

American government has lost its designation as a representative democracy, and is turning into a racket where one man, or one party, dictates its will on the entire government, and apparently no-one is willing to stop the demise of democratic rule. Conservatives have hijacked our democracy by using lies, deceit, and extortion to control the government agenda and the American people.

Republicans obstruct Democrat’s legislation that regulates corporations and helps American people. They use filibusters and super-majorities to block bills that rein in unfair business and banking practices as well as to deny funding for social programs that benefit a majority of Americans.

There are individuals in the legislatures who block legislation by using extortion to control the outcome of a bill, or to make sure a bill doesn’t come up for debate or a vote. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) is notorious for threatening to join Republicans if Democrats don’t adopt Republican proposals. Lieberman holds up Democrat’s legislation as a matter of course, and joined Republicans in blocking a bill that stopped job outsourcing. It is a mystery why Democrats allow him to sit on important committees.

There is a new extortionist in the Senate and although he is a Democrat, his allegiance seems closer to the Tea Party and ultra-conservative Republicans. Joe Manchin (D-WV) made a campaign ad (watch here) where he loaded a rifle and promised he would protect the 2nd Amendment, get the government off people’s backs, repeal bad parts of Obamacare, and kill cap and trade if he were elected to the Senate. Manchin resigned as Governor in West Virginia to replace Democrat Robert Byrd who recently died leaving an open Senate seat.

Manchin has ties to the mining industry and does not support environmental protections meant to maintain clean water in West Virginia. It is curious though, why Manchin’s campaign ad claimed he needed to protect the 2nd Amendment, or keep the government off of peoples’ backs. He may be a Democrat in name, but his campaign ads and statements are taken right out of Tea Party and Republican playbooks.

Before Manchin was sworn in as a Senator, Republicans tried to convince him to change parties and become a Republican. Harry Reid had to assure Manchin that the cap and trade bill would not be pursued so he wouldn’t join Republicans. It is another case of extortion, and not the way Democracy is supposed to work.

There is much talk about compromise and bipartisanship from the Democrats, and the White House, but in the 21st Century American democracy, it is a fallacy and a joke. Republicans will not compromise on anything, and like Lieberman and Manchin, they will have it their way, or not at all. It doesn’t matter if they use the filibuster, super-majority rules, or the one-man blocking tactic; Republicans will not compromise.

Extortionist tactics are not limited to personal ideology or religious belief, which is outrageous in itself. Many obstructionists are working for special interest groups or corporate sponsors like the energy industry. If enough money is involved, one legislator, like Manchin, can block regulatory agencies like the EPA from protecting water sources and the environment. Manchin filed suit in West Virginia to stop the EPA from enforcing Federal clean water rules and other environmental protection issues to appease the mining industry.

If America continues on its course of corporate control of legislators, democracy is dead, and Democrats are as much at fault as Republicans. Democrats in the legislature and the White House have to stop bending to the will of one man or the government will continue being ineffective. The days of sitting down, debating, compromising, and working for the good of the country are gone, and it signals the undoing of American democracy.

Although Democrats had a majority in both houses, they allowed Republicans and individual representatives to halt legislation with impunity to the detriment of the American people. When they did pass legislation, they had to concede conservative’s demands that effectively killed important benefits to the people. It happened with health care reform, financial reform, and environmental protections.

Republicans and teabaggers complain of Democrat’s tyranny in forcing legislation down their throats, regardless that the democratic process means the majority rules. The real tyranny is the conservative ideology that there is only one course of action, and one man can dictate policy by using extortion or obstruction.

Democracy is dead in America, and corporatist Republicans and attention seeking Democrats are responsible for its demise. The idea of majority rule is a joke when the minority controls the government and it is shameful. It is time to mourn our lost Democracy, and time to fear the tyranny of a few extortionists and corporatist dictators; maybe it is time to leave America.

Audio engineer and instructor for SAE. Writes op/ed commentary supporting Secular Humanist causes, and exposing suppression of women, the poor, and minorities. An advocate for freedom of religion and particularly, freedom of NO religion.

Born in the South, raised in the Mid-West and California for a well-rounded view of America; it doesn’t look good.

14 Replies to “Extortion: The United States Senate’s Newest Racket”

Rmuse I absolutely agree with you. Our representative government is absolutely gone, taken out with the garbage on Wednesday morning. There may be people in Congress that represent us but they don’t carry the weight required. The Republicans have turned the Congress into a complete useless entity of some of the Democrats have assisted them.

I absolutely think that our government is useless. This country just rolls along on its own. No matter what bills to pass corporations are going to be crooked and corrupt, many of our politicians have been corrupted.

And we really have no choice. If we banned the two political party system and just voted on people according to their beliefs or the silly stuff they say, they would all say the same silly stuff to get elected and then do nothing.

I would honestly hate to see another Republican in office without a Democrat majority in Congress. This country would slide into the sea right over top of California

Yet close to half the country would argue that it is the Dems who are obstructionists and trampling on the will of the people …

Here’s some food for thought. Remember that bill about extending funding to NYC firefighters that were injured on 9/11? Yeah the one that the Dems blamed the Republicans for voting against and thereby causing it to fail?

Well that was a bill that you only needed to get a simple majority to pass. As it turned out enough Republicans ended up supporting the bill to pass it … except a couple days before the vote was to come down the DEMS in power changed the vote to a super majority thereby making it impossible to pass!

Now why would they do that you might ask? Why would they intentionally take a bill that they had enough votes to pass and right before the vote was scheduled to go down do a procedural maneuver that made it impossible to pass? Well they were able to run all sorts of lovely attack ads about how the Republicans killed legislation to give NYC firefighters extended health coverage …..

Considering that the Democrats called this bill “vital” and a “life or death matter”‘ you have to wonder why they institute a move that killed it.

as if that somehow negates the support of privatized and unrestricted corporations which the republicans are completely to blame for. you argue small government but want unregulated business. the exact thing that put our country where it is now. it the fucking shitter. fucking 9/11 is the god damn holy grail of republicans, it allows you the argument to shred the damn constitution with the patriot act. now dont get me wrong, 9/11 was horrible. but guess what??? SHIT HAPPENS. and it will continue to do so until the end of time. i’m not trying to tarnish the good names of the people that perished on that day, but merely trying to get across the fact that 9/11 is far from anything close to the worst thing to happen to mankind as a whole. i love the fear that is perpetuated over this country, and the sad thing is that most people are too dumb to fucking realize it. read “The Culture of Fear” by Barry Glassner. it might teach you close minded assholes something.

i did not realize the voice of reason had to swear and make personal attacks to get his point across. maybe this is part of the reason conservatives and liberals have difficulty coming to compromises. \

They’re not too fond of reality since reality is contrary to their beliefs and goals for a meritless egalitarian utopia where all serve the State and the State doles out everything.

Well, the 2nd Amendment is still around and gives true Americans a final recourse and answer to the Liberal Question. ;-) I sort of hope it doesn’t come to that though, viscerally satisfying as it might be.

Guess I’m confused. The title was completely misleading to me. I’m seeing a president and congress who on several occasions has helped to push through bills such as the new Health laws, that are against the majority of what Americans want. There were numerous polls showing that America as a majority was against the bill, yet it went through. Doesn’t that seem to be the problem? I would think representatives coming in trying to repeal it are actually doing the democratic thing?

What I don’t understand is why is there anger against policies that help the middle class for example extension of tax breaks and the health care law. Most research shows that tax cuts for the wealthy do not increase jobs and or stimulate the economy while tax breaks have some effect but not as large as most people believe. The health care law on the other hand is pretty much the same bill the President Bush Senior tried to pass. Yes the mandate is controversial and the supreme court should judge the constitutionality of it. However there is no way to pay for a system without a large pool of people being enrolled. So, we can either socialize the system and have everyone pay tax to cover the bill, have an individual mandate where you are paying for private insurance that you choose, or stick with what we have right now. With that being said the bill will help the middle class purchase insurance, will stop insurance companies from kicking people out from policies due to pre-existing conditions, and even make it illegal to kick out women from stores who want to breast feed their child.

Stop bringing up 9/11.
9/11 is almost meaningless to me when it comes to attacks on Americans. Tell me, how many Americans died as the result of 9/11 terrorists? 2500?… 3000 ? Well tobacco companies kill 400,00 Americans every year. That’s more than the bad guys killed in 9/11, Iraq and Afghanistan wars combines. Why is this not considered doing harm to America. I’ll tell you, because there’s too much money in it to stop. 40,000 Americans die each year from alcohol. Why do we still allow it? Because there is so much money in it. Lives and freedoms are way down on the list. Money is at the top and if you don’t know that, your an idiot go worship Palin. How many Americans does marijuana kill every year? NONE… ever, yet it’s still illegal. WHY?.. anyone? I’ll tell you. No one can make money off a plant you can just grow in your own backyard or basement. If no corporation can get rich off it then no one can have it. So anyone talking about 9/11 and death of Americans by bad guy Muslim extremists are stupid and have priorities out of wack. This country is about money and who gets the most. Those with the most will do anything to keep the most. They will lie cheat steal and kill anyone and everyone that gets in the way. That is why this country WILL fail. Too many stupids in control being told what laws to make that make money for the elite.